Miniaturization in the electronics industry, in addition to an ever-growing number of elements which can be placed on a circuit chip has generated a need for interconnection techniques that are also miniaturized. In addition to the miniaturization and increased quantity of elements to be interconnected, higher speed circuits require improved electrical properties of the interconnecting means. To satisfy these needs, precision miniaturized coaxial cables have been developed. A connector in the simplest terms is a device used to provide rapid, efficient, connect-disconnect service for electrical wire and cable termination. Connectors also require to be improved to handle these miniaturized coaxial cables.
Improvements to create higher quality cable assemblies for higher speed electronics have focused on coaxial cables in which the overall diameter has been reduced. Existing technology provides coaxial cables having an individual ground associated with each signal conductor that is generally terminated in a manner in which shield integrity is maintained throughout the connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,878 describes a connector for flat cables with minute spacings between conductors, where alternate conductors are used as signal conductors and ground conductors. The ground conductors are attached directly to the shell of the connector and the signal conductors are attached to signal contacts of the socket assembly thus allowing use of higher density cables for high speed electronic signals.
A shielded cable is a cable comprising one or more individual insulated signal conductors surrounded by a conductive shield which makes at least intermittent contact with one or more ground conductors wherein the entire cable assembly is surrounded by an insulating jacket. A plurality of shielded cables may be assembled to form a shielded flat cable.
There is a need for shielded connectors capable of handling a plurality of shielded cables that provides easy and efficient termination with reasonable density and simultaneously maintains high electrical signal quality.